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Benue withdraws Supreme Court case against EFCC, ICPC

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The 8th plaintiff, Benue State, in the suit challenging the constitutionality of the laws that established the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, currently before the Supreme Court, has officially applied to withdraw from the suit.

The Benue State Government, in an application obtained by our correspondent, dated October 23, 2024, and signed by Fidelis Mnyim on behalf of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order of the state, disclosed its decision to withdraw from the suit.

It read “Take notice that the Attorney General of Benue State, who is the 8th plaintiff hereby discontinues this suit against the Attorney General of the Federation, the defendant”.

Benue State will become the fourth state to withdraw from the suit.

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PUNCH Online reported that on Tuesday, October 22, during the hearing of the suit, three states—Anambra, Ebonyi, and Adamawa— informed the open court of their decision to no longer continue with the suit.

Anambra (9th plaintiff), Adamawa (16th plaintiff), and Ebonyi (18th plaintiff) separately made applications for withdrawal before the seven-member panel of justices.

The Attorney General of Anambra State, Professor Sylvia Ifemeje, told the court that she wished to withdraw from the suit, having filed a motion for withdrawal on October 20.

Similarly, the Attorney General of Ebonyi State, Ikenna Nwidagu, said, “My Lord, I filed a notice of withdrawal dated and filed October 21. My Lords, we pray this honourable Court strikes out the name of the 18th plaintiff.”

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The Attorney General of Adamawa State, Afraimu Jingi, said, “My Lord, I have filed a notice of withdrawal of the suit. I am praying this Court to allow me to withdraw from the suit.”

The court accordingly struck out their suit following no opposition to their request by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia had on Wednesday, directed the Attorney General of the State and Commissioner for Justice, Fidelis Mnyim, to proceed on an indefinite suspension for unilaterally joining Benue State as a plaintiff in the suit challenging the legality of EFCC.

The Governor gave the directive at the state Government House during a press conference on Wednesday, shortly after the Benue State Executive Council meeting.

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He stated that “the suspension was necessitated by Mnyim’s ultra vires decision to join the state in a suit challenging the legality of anti-graft agencies, namely the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission”.

Adding that “No appointee is permitted to act unilaterally. No matter how pressing or urgent the issue is, one must resort to due consultations with me or appropriately brief me and seek my permission before acting, especially in a sensitive matter such as this.

“My administration is holding accountable those who embezzled money and drained our state dry. The EFCC and ICPC are assisting us in this effort.

“How can I now turn around and begin to challenge these watchdogs? I did not permit him to enter an appearance for the state. Because he acted on his own, I hereby suspend him indefinitely pending a satisfactory explanation of his actions.”

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Kogi State and now 14 other states with the withdrawal of four, are challenging the legality of EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies in the country.

Nasarawa and Ogun, although parties in the suit, are specifically contesting the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit cash withdrawal limit guidelines.

The suit, which was originally instituted by Kogi State before being joined by other states, argues that the Supreme Court, in Dr Joseph Nwobike vs. the Federal Republic of Nigeria, held that the United Nations Convention against Corruption was incorporated into the EFCC Establishment Act. However, in enacting this law in 2004, the provisions of Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, were not followed.

The plaintiffs argue that when bringing a convention into Nigerian law, the provisions of Section 12 must be complied with.

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According to the plaintiffs, the Constitution requires that a majority of state Houses of Assembly must agree to the adoption of the convention before laws like the EFCC Act and others can be passed, which they claim was never done.

The states’ argument in their present suit, which they assert has been corroborated by the Supreme Court in the aforementioned case, is that the law, as enacted, cannot be applied to states that did not approve of it, by the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.

Therefore, they argue that any institution established under such circumstances should be considered illegal.

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BREAKING: Jubilation As PDP Wins All 30 LGs In Osun State(See winners)

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSSIEC, has announced that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won all the local government and councillorship positions in the just concluded local government elections in the state.

The Chairman of the Commission, Hashim Abioye, made this announcement via a Facebook Live broadcast on Saturday evening.

Abioye stated that PDP candidates secured all the councillorship seats in all 332 wards in the state, as well as the chairmanship elections in all 30 local government council areas.

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The names of the PDP chairmanship candidates and their respective local government council areas:

Babalola Wasiu Kayode – Boripe

Okunade Oluwafemi Adesanya – Egbedore

Adeyenuwo Rotimi John – Ife Central

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Agboola Francis Olajire – Obokun

Azeez Lateef Adeniran – Isokan

Aina Abayomi Adesina – Boluwaduro

Sodiq Samuel Oluwapelumi – Ola Oluwa

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Ajibade Oluwatoyin S. – Irepodun

Adebanjo Oladiti Tunmininu – Ilesa West

Ibironke Alade Adegboye – Atakumosa East

Aroke Muyiwa Aderemi – Ife South

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Kolade Obafemi Kolawole – Olorunda

Moshood Adekunle Kabiru – Iwo

Awotunde Abiodun Sarafadeen – Ifelodun

Akande Taiwo Adekunle – Osogbo

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Dada Feyisayo Ajibola – Atakumosa West

Amodu Taiwo – Ede North

Atolagbe Kayode Olayinka – Ifedayo

Akande Michael O. – Ife North

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Adeyekun Taiwo Adebayo – Oriade

Adeniran Adenike Felicia – Ayedaade

Afolabi Oyekola Lukman – Ede South

Odunyemi Haruna Bukola – Ife East

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Jooda Ambali Babajide – Irewole

Adewale Adeyinka Oluwaseun – Odo Otin

Ogunbiyi Solomon Akinyemi – Ayedire

Raimi Adenike Nafisat – Ejigbo

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Adebisi Jayeola Nasir – Ila

Ilesanmi Taiwo Sunday – Ilesa East

Alade Aderemi Fatai – Orolu

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DSS arrests three for assaulting operatives during LSHA crisis

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested three persons linked to the alleged assault on its officers during the crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly, following the removal Mudashiru Obasa, as Speaker

Apparently sensing danger, some lawmakers had mobilized their supporters to the Assembly Complex, but these supporters allegedly attacked some DSS officers who were invited by the Assembly leadership to secure the facility. Security sources revealed that “after extensive analysis of CCTV footage, we were able to clearly identify three of the suspects”.
“The suspects, Ibrahim Olanrewaju Abdulkareem, a photographer and two others attached to the Assembly’s Seargent at Arms, Adetu Adekunle Samsudeen and Adetola Oluwatosin Fatimoh, a lady, were consequently tracked and arrested during the week in different parts of Lagos,” The trio have since confessed to the crime and will soon be charged to court, the source said.

It would be recalled that the Lagos Assembly had in a leaked memo dated 14th February, 2025 and addressed to the DSS Director in the State, and Heads of other Security Agencies in Lagos State, told the Security Agencies in Lagos that, there was credible information to the effect that, Obasa had planned to forcefully reinstate himself today, February 18, 2025.
Accordingly, the Assembly management, held the view that, the development posed “a potential security threat” to it and its members.

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Police seal OSSIEC office, officials nabbed, says chairman

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Hashim Abioye, has claimed that the police have sealed off the headquarters in Osogbo.

In a video post on the OSSIEC X handle, Abioye accused the police of also arresting election officials and blocking journalists from covering the local government election.

According to him, several OSSIEC officials were detained while on their way to polling units on Saturday.

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Attempts by our correspondent to reach Abioye for further details proved abortive as his telephone line was switched off.

The OSSIEC chair, in the post, assured voters that materials had been deployed to affected areas.

So far so good, the reports have been positive and the conduct has been very smooth and peaceful as against the false alarm raised by the police. Everywhere is calm,” Abioye said.

“The only thing is that in some of the areas in which materials are supposed to have arrived for voters to cast their votes, we had reports of police arresting our officials.

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“I don’t know on whose order because there is no court order that warranted the arrest of officers of our officials.

“As it is, we have deployed materials to those units because we have enough on the ground.

For our people in the media community, I want to apologise for the inadequacy of the tags and the jackets because we have enough but the police sealed our office and that was not warranted at all.”

Abioye’s comments come after police had called for the local government election to be called off by the state government, citing a security threat.

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In a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Friday, the Police said it received credible intelligence indicating a likelihood of violence and significant security threats should the planned elections proceed.

The police explained that reports gathered from joint intelligence gathering revealed that various groups, including political elements and other interested parties, are mobilising to instigate unrest, disrupt public peace and undermine the democratic order.

However, the Osun State government acknowledged the police’s advice but insisted on going on with the election.

Channels Television reports that the election eventually went on as scheduled on Saturday.

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